theboondork's RV blog

quartzite Arizona

2/1/2024

Click the pics, the desert is waiting.

My last morning boondocking in Yuma. I got an early start on my way to Quartzsite.

I woke up this morning, and I felt like leaving. I liked it in Yuma. The weather is nice, shopping is nearby, it's free... And those are three of my favorite things.

Sometimes, and I don't know when, I feel it's time to hat-up and move on. Maybe nothing interesting is going on, but there seldom is in my mundane life, so that can't be an excuse. I may want a new view. And that's a possibility; trees and mountains block sunrises and sunsets in the Yuma boondocking area, so they're not very impressive. It could be I'm too comfortable, and when I stay in my comfort zone for too long it's hard to pack up and leave, and the longer I stay the harder it is to leave... Yeah, that's probably it.

I get in a rut doing the same things over and over, day after day, looking at the same views, thinking the same thoughts, and that makes me feel less and less like going to the trouble of packing everything up and finding a new place to stay, which of course causes the rut to get deeper and deeper until I feel like it's just not worth the effort of finding a new place. Then, my procrastination kicks in, and I start making excuses for not leaving. What kind of excuses? Well here are 10 of my favorites.

Excuse number one... Why should I leave here? There's nothing wrong with this place.

Number two... I'll leave, but I'll wait till tomorrow... Or maybe next week.

Number three... I'm not feeling all that good, I think I've got barfalungus of the blowhole and don't feel like leaving now, but I'll probably feel better tomorrow... Or next week.

Number four... It's so much trouble to pack up and leave; I've got to put everything away, fill up with fuel, and stop for groceries; why deal with all of that when I can relax right here for a few more days.... Or weeks.

Number five... If I'm out on the road, things could go wrong. My truck could break down, leaving me stranded; why take the chance?

Number six... I'm getting old and worried about facing problems I can't solve if I leave here. This place is safe, and I know people who can help me; I should stay here because it's a safety issue.

Number seven... Boondocking is a challenge; all kinds of decisions must be made to stay safe and comfortable; what if I can't find a place to stay? where will I go? What will I do?

Number eight... All this traveling is expensive; I could save a lot of money if I just sat here in this one spot...For the rest of my life

Number nine... The place I'm thinking of going is inconvenient; the grocery store is too far away, so maybe I should wait for them to build a Walmart before I go.

Number 10... I'm too old to be traveling like this, my thingamabob aches, my whatchamacallit hurts, and I can no longer feel my doohickey. I'm ready to check myself into an old geezer home and throw away my truck keys before I stroke out driving down I -10.

So, what's the answer to all ten of those problems? there is no answer of course, and even if I found an answer I have limitless excuses so I would never leave.

But this is what I tell myself ... I'm a traveling man and a long-term boondocker; that's the life I've chosen and the life I love. So suck it up, Buttercup and get in the truck. There's a new day dawning and a new view calling just around the bend.

Theboondork

Now that's more like it! My nearest neighbor is that tiny white spot in the background and is a couple hundred yards away...exactly where a neighbor should be.

I can tell most of the folks have left Quartzite, there were bunches of RVs heading south as I was heading north. But there are still a lot of people riding their ATVs around.

If you want to boondock with the big boys you have to be prepared for some interesting roads.

6 Comments

Judith

2/1/2024 07:48:01 pm

No mention of the neighbor. Did you just drive around to get out? No sighting of persons? No interaction?
Well, we'll see what happens in your new spot. Ha.

Tom

2/1/2024 09:28:46 pm

There was no room to drive around them; I had to back out. I left really early, just as the sun was coming up because it was supposed be raining in Quartzsite early this morning and I wanted to avoid driving in the rain so I didn't have to worry about dry washes full of water on the highway.

I never saw them outside, in fact I never saw them at all, they must've come in during the night and I never knew they were there until I woke up in the morning and went outside, so there was no opportunity for me to have a casual meeting and talk to them.

You know, if this was a twilight zone plot, when I wake up in the morning that RV would be sitting beside my camper. And when I knock on their door, the RV would be empty! But since that's not going to happen... I hope. This will be a mystery that never gets solved.

Tom

Larry S Worsham link

2/2/2024 06:35:26 am

We are just outside of Apache Junction. Interesting to note that a lot of the BLM and Forest Service access is blocked off. Saw several junky abandoned RV sites behind area closed BLM signs in the area. Probably to close to town.

The DW has her blog going if you are interested.

https://runningk-r.blogspot.com/

Enjoy Quartzite....nice rain last night. SAFE TRAVELS!

2/2/2024 08:41:09 am

That's a very nice blog Larry, and it's been around a long time. I didn't have time to read much of it, but I will tonight.

The Lost Dutchman has been a favorite State Park of mine and has been for a long time. My only complaint is, as you know, it's a very popular place and extremely difficult to get a reservation in the winter, and I find that's quite often the case when a state park is located too close to a major metropolitan area like Phoenix.

And you're right, the BLM boondocking areas have some of the same problems that the state parks have when they're too close to a big city, which is not just too many people, but too many people that don't care. And in the Apache Junction area, Apache Junction is too close to Mesa, and Mesa, is not known as a great place to hang around, especially at night.

Tom

Linda

2/2/2024 11:34:42 am

Sometimes it's just time to move and no one knows why.

2/2/2024 12:46:54 pm

Yeah that's me Linda, about half the time I leave for a reason; I want to see an event, seeking a change of weather, or wanting to take pictures of something in a different location.

But other times, I have no reason for leaving. I wake up in the morning and feel like going someplace else. Maybe it's the call of the open road, the grass is always greener, or I'm bored wherever I am. Whatever it is, I think I've always been that way. I've always worked, either for others or myself, and when you do that and raise a family, you can't just hop in the truck and leave on a whim... But I can now.

The dictionary defines whim as a "sudden or capricious idea," so maybe that's why I leave when I do... I go on a whim,

Tom

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